There's a Miracle Due

Chapter 3

The first thing Lizzy did when she awoke was check the fire escape, just like she had expected, Ice was gone, and so were the other three Jets who were here last night.

Lizzy felt a small prickle of excitement in her chest which gave her an extra pep to her step when she enters the kitchen, putting together a small breakfast of porridge which was all she felt like she ate these days.

Despite everything, Lizzy knew that she shouldn't be fooling around today-she had only so much time before university started, and the sooner she got to studying, the better.

Lizzy dressed herself in a comfortable pare of maroon capris then through a white-collared shirt. When she had taken the train through the suburbs of America, she had seen many women working in pants, but here in New York, everyone seemed to be on some occasion.

Lizzy heaved her purse and through in some extra contents-extra cash, her library card, keys and and bag of pretzels. She then took all of the items that were too large to fit in her bag, like the textbooks from the ranch.

All in all Lizzy perceived that she looked like a professional college student. She smiled pleasantly then turned off all the lamps before exiting her room and headed down the stairs.

She departed the apartment complex in a cheerful mood, walking a brisk pace without worrying about her limp.

The library was on 48th if she remembered correctly, so she made her way down the blocks, catching herself wondering where the Jets were heading, but then remember that she had been easily followed the other day.

Lizzy's head snapped back and saw a dark headed boy leaning against a shop a few yards back with the same ego and swagger as an my of the gang members she had seen so far.

"What's your ridiculous name?" Lizzy called out. He didn't move a muscle as he watched the other side of the road. "Hey, you!"

Lizzy approached him which finally made him acknowledge her. "What's your name? Ass-hat? Corkscrew? Root Beer? What's your stupid name?"

The boy gave her a strange expression before he entered the shop he was leaning on and Lizzy respites he had not the swagger she had misperceived of him, and she had hallucinated his strut.

Her jaw hung slightly open as she came to a awareness that she had been say dreaming about the Jets that it messed with her self-consciousness. Without another embarrassment encounter she hurried to the library.

It was a large great building made of red brick and white collems at the top of the stairs reaching all the way to the eaves of the roof. Many other citizens entered and exited, all carrying bags and books.

Lizzy took a deep breath, attempting to strangle her wandering emotions and focus on one thing: studying.

Lizzy ambled through the front doors and flashed her library card to the receptionist. The room had high, dark wood walls with a high chandelier, and the the floors were a checkers pattern of black and white tiles.

Without hesitating, Lizzy enters the room across from her. Four person chairs were set out around every corner, and in the center was a labyrinth of bookshelves. Lizzy was even more amazed to see it had a second level that wrapped around the perimeter of the first room.

While she had lived on the farm, her grandparents had a wide collection of books from every genre, and the best part was that they let her read every single one.

Lizzy saved an armchair with a side table, and dived into the criminal justice section. A wealthy look boy around her age was reading the description of one of the textbooks she already had read.

"Oh that's a good one," Lizzy approached him. "One of my favorites actually..."

He looked over and smiled. Just a little. "Yeah I've heard great reviews. But since when did girls read books on criminal justice?"

Lizzy felt a muscle twitch in the side of her neck. She would get these comments on the regular from men who didn't believe in her, but that didn't it mean it affected her. Just a little.

"Since they win scholarships to NYU..." Lizzy trailed off into an innocent giggle. After a long pause, she said, "What's your name?"

"David, and yours?" He opened the book but kept his eyes on hers. David had the expression of a egotistical, narssastic man and Lizzy hated it.

"So David," Lizzy prepped stepping forward and easily sliding the textbook out of his hand. "You heading to NYU?"

"For sure, just waiting for the acceptance letter," he laughed it off and Lizzy couldn't help but grin wickedly.

"Hate to break it to you David, but since the summer has technically and physically started, all acceptance letters are done," Lizzy slammed the book shut with one hand and laid it back on the shelf. "So that wouldn't be a good choice for you, but maybe you would find interest in the self-help section."

David wired his jaw and then look away for a moment. "Give me your name and I'll leave you alone."

Since when did everyone want my name?!

"Here I'll spell it out for you. F-U-C-K-O-FF." Lizzy gave one last sly smile before taking two textbooks she had her eye on and headed back to her armchair.

"Now that was entertaining girly girly."

Lizzy's eyes flickered forward and she spun on her heel. Riff was hiding behind a bookshelves as to not be in the eye site of any staff, except he seemed to be trying to make it look like some cool stance.

"Riff..." she whispered and realized she had been staring into his eyes for longer than she should have.

"Good morning to you too," A grin tugged as his lips the same moment Lizzy felt the weight of her textbooks.

"I really cannot be in any of this funny business with the Jets-I need to study." Lizzy set her things down, yet she didn't move to sit.

"Well maybe if I read one we will get the work done twice as fast." Riff offered and slid past her, taking one of them and sat on the floor in front of her.

Lizzy scoffed. "Like you know anything about criminal justice."

"Don't worry about it girly girly it's gonna be a piece of cake." Riff shooed her off before opening the textbook. "Holy shit, where are there so many chapters?"

Lizzy couldn't help but titter. "If it's too much then just scan the stuff you think is important."

"When the boys told me you'd be here they didn't say is was gonna be boring." Riff sighed.

"Hey, you wanna help or not?" Lizzy raised an eyebrow before half-diving into her book and half-watching Riff.

"Geez okay girly girl!" Riff huffed and Lizzy snuggled into her chair, yet only twenty second later, Riff waved his hand in front of her face.

"Yes?"

"I got a question," She expected him to back away, but instead he leaned closer.

"I have an answer." Lizzy didn't break eye contact, her grandfather always told her to stare down the animals and she would achieve dominance.

"How come you been talkin to Tony?" Riff mumbled under his breath.

Stunned by the question, Lizzy stuttered. "I..." she looked down at her book. "I was only there to get medicine if I ever needed it and I had known Valentina."

"Yeah, but girly girly," there was a little hurt in his voice. "The only reason I sent Ice and all those other Jets to trail you home and the reason I came here, is because you got Tony to talk."

Lizzy scrunched her eyebrows. Tony didn't seem like someone who would just ignore people. He was very talkative when they spoke.
Lizzy's mouth fell open before she could find an answer. "He recognized me from photos or something...then..." she tried to recall every detail of the conversation. "It was a short talk, I told him about my NYU scholarship and he said how the brawls seem to be getting worse."

Riff thought for a moment then nodded, the devilish grin returning to his lips. "Hey, you got all summer to prepare, you wanna do something fun?"